Given The Beatles’ immense popularity, it’s no surprise that their legacy is being adapted into a movie. The project comprises four separate films, each dedicated to one specific band member. The project, titled The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event, was first announced in February 2024 and is scheduled for release in April 2028.
After the first photos showcasing the main cast as their respective characters were released, the public reengaged in a mass discussion over the casting of the four band members. Many fans have claimed that the actors don’t resemble the characters enough, but fail to consider the other aspects of casting. Making a movie about the story of The Beatles is a difficult venture.
Personally, I think fans have been overly critical about the casting decisions. Any film made about The Beatles won’t be perfect, and that shouldn’t be the expectation. Instead, fans should appreciate the opportunity to see the story of the band come to life on the big screen, especially considering many fans weren’t alive when it initially occurred.
Connecting with Gen Z
The Beatles were a band of the 1960s, making them the most popular with the Baby Boomer generation. However, casting seems to be more targeted towards Gen Z, as the actors have been featured in media most loved by Gen Z.
These films will want to reach the largest audience possible, so the marketing is crucial. By catering casting towards Gen Z, the films are likely to bring in viewers who aren’t particularly fans of The Beatles.
Much of the casting criticism stems from not choosing small actors from Liverpool, but the current casting of well-known celebrities has already garnered plenty of attention.
Joseph Quinn, who plays George Harrison, rose to fame through Stranger Things Season 4 as Eddie Munson, a fan favorite character. The casting also includes Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. With notable roles in Normal People, Triangle of Sadness, and Saltburn, respectively.
Fan casting isn’t realistic
All across social media platforms like TikTok, it’s common to see videos of fan casts for various movies. Before the casting was announced, there were plenty of different names that fans were hoping to see as the four main characters. This was the same scenario for movies like the live-action Tangled and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
Fan casts are limitless; most of them don’t consider the realistic ability for those actors to appear in the project. Not every actor will want to be part of every project. Even if director Sam Mendes had an ideal casting for the films, it doesn’t mean anything if those particular actors don’t want to play those roles.
There are plenty of other reasons as to why some actors wouldn’t be cast in these roles. A-list actors often have busy schedules and are expensive to afford. Films might not have the time or budget to accommodate these needs, leading to different casting than originally planned by the casting department.
We weren’t at the auditions
It’s important to remember that, as the audience, we only see the final casting decisions. The casting department might’ve originally wanted to go in an entirely separate direction, but we weren’t there throughout the process to see a potential shift.
There are so many different factors that go into casting; they go way past how the actors look in comparison to The Beatles. The casting department must look at the big picture, which includes the chemistry between actors and how they all look as a cohesive unit. If Quinn and Mescal’s acting together seems too forced, then it would lower the overall quality of the films.
Before the films are released, it’s difficult to praise or condemn the casting choices. We’ve only seen photographs of the actors in character, no footage that showcases their acting talent. Hopefully, the actors will do the story the justice it deserves, and critics will give nothing but compliments for their performances.
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